1. Close Reading

2. Just What Is…
“Close reading”

3. “Every book has a skeleton hidden between its covers
“Every book has a skeleton hidden between its covers. Your job as an analytic reader is to find it.”
Adler and Van Dore, 1940/1972

4. “X-ray the book”

5. “Read like a detective, write like a reporter.”

6. Close Reading Requires:
Understanding your purpose in reading
Understand the author’s purpose in writing
Seeking ideas in a text as being interconnected
Engaging a text while reading
Formulating questions and seeking answers to those questions while reading

8. Here are five simple strategies to help students learn how to critically read complex text.

9. 1. Number the paragraphs
The Common Core asks you to be able to cite and refer to the text.
numbering each paragraph, section or stanza in the left hand margin.
When you refer to the text, state which paragraph you are referring to.
By doing this, the rest of the class will be able to quickly find the line being referred to.

10. 2. Chunk the text
When faced with a full page of text, reading it can quickly become overwhelming for you.
Breaking up the text into smaller sections (or chunks) makes the page much more manageable for you.
To do this, draw a horizontal line between paragraphs to divide the page into smaller sections.

11. 3. Underline and circle… with a purpose
Underline and circle very specific things.

12. 4. Left margin: What is the author SAYING?
In the left margin, summarize each chunk.
Demonstrate how to write summaries in 10-words or less.
summarizing what the author is saying in just that small specific chunk.

13. 5. Right margin: Dig deeper into the text
In the right-hand margin,
Use a power verb to describe what the author is DOING. (For example: Describing, illustrating, arguing, comparing ______ to ________)

14. Close Reading strategies that support the Common Core

15. ! = I have an idea about this,
Coding The Text
? = I have a question
about this
! = I have an idea about this
Bud, Not Buddy was selected because it is listed in the text exemplars located in Appendix B as a Second and Third grade read aloud and a Fourth and Fifth Grade independent read. The book is only a suggested reading.
Give them a pencil and some note cards with an easy labeling system is best: You can make up your own coding system but sticking to just a few at first that are systematic reading strategies that can be supported by evidence from the text will best align with the CCSS. The coding system we chose is listed in the upper left hand corner and should be easily used by all 2-5th grade students.
As a teacher begins a year, this is a typical research based strategy chart that may be posted at the front of the room. Students need to be well versed in how to code a text using shorter texts to practice with prior to being asked to utilize this chart independently but once students are familiar with how to code text, a teacher may give a poem to students and ask them to do a first read.
This first time, the student will focus only on the actual chronological events and supporting details and the questions that fall under the key ideas and details cluster.
The first time a participant reads this through, it is important to focus only on the actual chronological events and supporting details. The idea behind this is that we are frontloading too much and discussing too much of the text causing students to have too much support and losing their interest and motivation to read.
It is appropriate to scaffold and provide direction and support but only after a first read which allows students to grapple with the text and surmise which vocabulary is causing difficulty. Allowing students to wonder about a text first is critical in the thought process.
In summary, give them a pencil and some note cards with an easy labeling system is best: ? = I have a question about this, ! = I have an idea about this, #= I have a connection, 0-0 I can visualize this. You can make up your own coding system but sticking to just 4 that are systematic reading strategies that can be supported by evidence from the text will best align with the CCSS.
0-0 = I can visualize this
# = I have a connection

16. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Here we go again. We were all standing in line waiting for breakfast when one of the caseworkers came in and tap-tap-tapped down the line. Uh-oh, this meant bad news, either they’d found a foster home for somebody or somebody was about to get paddled. All the kids watched the woman as she moved along the line, her high-heeled shoes sounding like little firecrackers going off on the wooden floor. Shoot! She stopped at me and said, “Are you Buddy Caldwell?” I said, “It’s Bud, not Buddy, ma’am.” She put her hand on my shoulder and took me out of the line. Then she pulled Jerry, one of the littler boys, over. “Aren’t you Jerry Clark?” He nodded. “Boys, good news! Now that the school year has ended, you both have been accepted in new temporary-care homes starting this afternoon!”
Allow participants to read the next 4 slides and use the coding system provided. They may write in a different colored pencil or pen that should be provided to them at tables. At the end of the 4th slide, participants will answer only questions that focus on the cluster key ideas and details.

17. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Jerry asked the same thing I was thinking, “Together?” She said, “Why no, Jerry, you’ll be in a family with three little girls…” Jerry looked like he’d just found out they were going to dip him in a pot of boiling milk. “…and Bud..” She looked at some papers she was holding. “Oh, yes, the Amoses, you’ll be with Mr. and Mrs. Amos and their son, who’s twelve years old, that makes him just two years older than you, doesn’t it, Bud?” “Yes, ma’am.” She said, “I’m sure you’ll both be very happy.” Me and Jerry looked at each other.
Please pause the webinar to read the slides.

18. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
The woman said, “Now, now , boys, no need to look so glum. I know you don't understand what it means, but there’s a depression going on all over this country. People can’t find jobs and these are very, very difficult times for everybody. We’ve been lucky enough to find two wonderful families who’ve opened their doors for you. I think it’s best that we show our new foster families that we’re very…” She dragged out the word very, waiting for us to finish her sentence for her. Jerry said, “Cheerful, helpful and grateful.” I moved my lips and mumbled. She smiled and said, “Unfortunately, you won’t have time for breakfast. I’ll have a couple of pieces of fruit put in a bag. In the meantime go to the sleep room and strip your beds and gather all of your things.”

19. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Here we go again. I felt like I was walking in my sleep as I followed Jerry back to the room where all the boys’ beds were jim-jammed together. This was the third foster home I was going to and I’m used to packing up and leaving, but it still surprises me that there are always a few seconds, right after they tell you you’ve got to go, when my nose gets all runny and my throat gets all choky and my eyes get all sting-y. But the tears coming out doesn’t happen to me anymore, I don’t know when it first happened, but it seems like my eyes don’t cry anymore.
Remind participants that the questions that follow will only be from the key ideas and details portion of the CCSS no matter what grade level they choose a text from and no matter what topic the text is chosen around. Questions generated during a first read are always chosen from the key ideas and details section of the standards and students are asked to complete a simple coding of the text process.
The following questions can be completed in a small or whole group setting.
Who is the person telling the story? How do you know?
Summarize the main event and details supporting the event. What is explicitly stated in the text that supports those details?
Describe the characters in this selection with regards to age. What is the setting and time period? How do you know?
What are the main character’s true feelings about being placed in temporary care? What evidence supports that thought?
Efforts to hold collaborative conversations should be entertained as often as possible and students must support their ideas with evidence from the text. Using the coding of the text strategy allows small groups to have discussions regarding their thoughts while the teacher circulates. Certain questions could be designed to correlate with writing standards as well.

20. ! = I have an idea about this,
Coding The Text
Red: Synonyms/Antonyms
Bold: Tier 2 Words
As we move into the second reading, questions will focus on the second cluster of questions from the CCSS, craft and structure. Craft and structure focus on the language, structure of the text, viewpoint of the characters, and the comparing and contrasting of viewpoints.
Participants will now read a second time through. Allow time for participants to do so and to code as they would like. In this portion of the power point, the text has been coded as if students have already highlighted and underlined the text according to the provided coding system. If students had completed an actual first read in the classroom and the teacher collected it as was discussed in the previous webinar, the words and phrases highlighted could offer the teacher the opportunity to scaffold and differentiate instruction the next day by utilizing questions from the students’ work. (Some words or phrases have been underlined, colored, highlighted or bolded for discussion purposes only).
Highlight: Figurative Language

21. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Here we go again. We were all standing in line waiting for breakfast when one of the caseworkers came in and tap-tap-tapped down the line. Uh-oh, this meant bad news, either they’d found a foster home for somebody or somebody was about to get paddled. All the kids watched the woman as she moved along the line, her high-heeled shoes sounding like little firecrackers going off on the wooden floor. 
Shoot! She stopped at me and said, “Are you Buddy Caldwell?”
 I said, “It’s Bud, not Buddy, ma’am.”
 She put her hand on my shoulder and took me out of the line. Then she pulled Jerry, one of the littler boys, over. “Aren’t you Jerry Clark?” He nodded.
 “Boys, good news! Now that the school year has ended, you both have been accepted in new temporary-care homes starting this afternoon!”
Notice, I have bolded words that may need defining for better comprehension. These are the tier 2 words that students may see in more than one type of text or may have more than one meaning depending in which content area that the student is exposed to it. Words in red may have synonyms or antonyms. Words that are highlighted or underlined may have figurative language attached to them and could be defined in the craft and structure portion of the CCSS. This section happened to have the title inserted and offered a point of discussion which is underlined in purple.
As students reread this section of the story, students may try to code some of the text themselves or the teacher may instruct around the vocabulary terms that he/she has highlighted and coded.
After reading, the teacher will begin to frame the next set of questions around the craft and structure of the story.
Some possible questions might be to acknowledge the perspective or point of view of the Bud, Jerry and the caseworker.
How did the beginning of the selection contribute to the ending?
How do the characters interact with one another?
What are some of the areas of figurative language that are used throughout the text? (shoes sounding like fire crackers, looked like he’s being dipped in a pot of boiling milk, how she dragged out her words) These are underlined in yellow throughout the presentation.
What is the author’s meaning behind these words?
What illustrations come to mind?
Is first or third person narration being used?
What could be the author’s purpose be for using first or third?

22. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Jerry asked the same thing I was thinking, “Together?” She said, “Why no, Jerry, you’ll be in a family with three little girls…” Jerry looked like he’d just found out they were going to dip him in a pot of boiling milk. “…and Bud..” She looked at some papers she was holding. “Oh, yes, the Amoses, you’ll be with Mr. and Mrs. Amos and their son, who’s twelve years old, that makes him just two years older than you, doesn’t it, Bud?” “Yes, ma’am.” She said, “I’m sure you’ll both be very happy.” Me and Jerry looked at each other.
What facial expression would Jerry have on his face? Is there an emotion word that could describe this look?

23. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
The woman said, “Now, now , boys, no need to look so glum. I know you don't understand what it means, but there’s a depression going on all over this country. People can’t find jobs and these are very, very difficult times for everybody. We’ve been lucky enough to find two wonderful families who’ve opened their doors for you. I think it’s best that we show our new foster families that we’re very…”
 She dragged out the word very, waiting for us to finish her sentence for her.
 Jerry said, “Cheerful, helpful and grateful.” I moved my lips and mumbled.
 She smiled and said, “Unfortunately, you won’t have time for breakfast. I’ll have a couple of pieces of fruit put in a bag. In the meantime go to the sleep room and strip your beds and gather all of your things.”
In this section there are conflicting emotions – the boys are being told to be “cheerful, helpful, and grateful” but how do they really feel? What evidence in the text supports the true feelings of the characters?
What are the antonym/synonym meanings of the red words?
Does the time period have something to do with the author choosing the word sleep room?

24. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Here we go again. I felt like I was walking in my sleep as I followed Jerry back to the room where all the boys’ beds were jim-jammed together. This was the third foster home I was going to and I’m used to packing up and leaving, but it still surprises me that there are always a few seconds, right after they tell you you’ve got to go, when my nose gets all runny and my throat gets all choky and my eyes get all sting-y. But the tears coming out doesn’t happen to me anymore, I don’t know when it first happened, but it seems like my eyes don’t cry anymore.
What visualization comes to mind when the phrase “I felt like I was walking in my sleep” is heard?
What does the term “jim-jammed” mean? Is there a comparison that can be made or a visualization that can be drawn?
At any point, are there terms that can have graphics inserted from online dictionaries inserted to better explain or give pictorial representation?
Foster home may need identification from this time period and is a good way to incorporate technology.